Louise had an on-going relationship over many years with Toto and some of the correspondence is included here. It took me quite a while to determine the identity of Toto and of Ben who is mentioned in many letters.
Toto was Lady Helen Carnegie the daughter of the 9th Earl of Northesk and she married Francis Lacey in 1890. They had three children one of whom was stillborn and Patrick who died at 19 and Elizabeth who died at age 33. Helen died at age 40 Ben was her husband, Francis Lacey, a noted county cricketer and Secretary of the MCC from 1898 until 1926.
In researching Lady Helen Carnegie one has to be aware that there was another Lady Helen Carnegie, the daughter of the Earl of Southesk.
This letter shows that the copperplate writing of the 7 year old has deteriorated a little and as in many letters Louise is careful to make full use of every part of the paper. It is addressed to ‘Dearest Toto’ and signed ‘Your loving Louise’ In this letter and many more the style of her writing indicates she was left-handed, a feature which is confirmed in David Duff’s biography of Louise which was read and approved by Louise.
The Princess Louise (under construction) 